Let’s End 2025 With A Big Hurrah!
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The year 2025 has presented unprecedented financial challenges for KIDS FIRST! We began the year with optimism, having secured two federal grants designated to support our Film Festivals in Ukraine, Pakistan, and across the U.S.
Unfortunately, a subsequent change in administration halted the release of federal grants, a dramatic move that impacted countless nonprofits, including ours. This forced us to immediately pivot and seek sustainable, forward-looking sources of revenue.
We responded by doing what we do best: innovating for the future. We successfully formed new alliances to ensure our stability and growth:
- We partnered with a company serving 5,000+ Montessori schools nationwide to host KIDS FIRST! Film Festivals for their families. This generates funds for their schools as well as for us.
- We relaunched our podcast with iHeartMedia, creating the potential for an ongoing ad-sales revenue stream from existing content.
- We established a relationship with three AVOD channels to create a dedicated KIDS FIRST! section, splitting ad revenue 50/50 with the independent filmmakers we champion.
- We launched our ambitious year-end fundraising campaign early, starting in June.
You Are Our Success Story
Your incredible support has made the difference. We successfully reached our first goal of $15,000 at the end of August, and we are now at 98% of our second goal of $30,000!
Your donations are truly keeping KIDS FIRST! alive and well, allowing us to continue our vital work and share our unique insights into youth-focused media with hundreds of thousands of kids and families globally.
We now invite you to help us cross the finish line—and even surpass it!
Will you contribute today? Click the platform link below to make a gift in any form. If you are unable to contribute, please consider forwarding this message to someone who can help us secure our future.
Thank you for your trust and generosity. We send our love and best wishes for the holidays.
Ranny Levy, Founder and President, and the KIDS FIRST! Team
